Suspect in killing of slain law professor pleads guilty

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – One of the suspects in the 2014 killing of a Florida State University law professor has taken a plea deal.

The Tallahassee Democrat (http://on.tdo.com/2dZfKCZ) reports that Luis Rivera on Tuesday pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for his role in what police have called a murder-for-hire plot that targeted professor Dan Markel.

Rivera, who is already serving a 12-year prison sentence on an unrelated charge, is now sentenced to an additional seven years behind bars.

Before Tuesday's plea hearing, Rivera was set to go on trial for first-degree murder this month, facing a potential death sentence.

Authorities have said Markel's 2014 killing was sparked by a bitter divorce. A woman linked to the gunmen and Markel's ex-wife was arrested over the weekend.